The Science Behind GMOs

What does the science say about the risks of GMOs for human health, animal health, and our environment?

Until 2012, there had been no lifetime feeding trials of GMOs to animals. And there remain a paucity of long-term studies. Most studies are done by scientists working for the biotech companies or who receive grants from them, creating significant bias.

January 2014: A new study analyzed three groups of soybean samples: 1) genetically modified (GMO) soybeans, 2) non-GMO soybeans grown conventionally (with chemicals), and 3) non-GMO soybeans grown organically. Results showed that the organic soybeans had the healthiest nutritional profile and less saturated fat than the conventional and GMO soybeans. In addition to being less nutritious, the GMO soybeans also contained significant levels of glyphosate (the herbicide used on Roundup Ready crops) and Aminomethyphosphonicacid (AMPA). Click here for the full study.

June 2013: Farmers have shared numerous studies about digestive and reproductive problems in livestock that is fed genetically engineered or modified (GM) grains. A group of Midwestern farmers collaborated with scientists from around the world to conduct a scientific study to see whether these stories were well-founded. Pigs, whose digestive tract is very similar to humans, were fed a diet of GM soy and corn for five months while a control group was fed non-GM soy and corn. This is the first independent long-term feeding trial of GM to livestock that we are aware of. Click here for Dr. Judy Carman’s summary of the study.

In January 2011, one of the nation’s senior scientists alerted the federal government to a newly discovered organism that may have the potential to cause infertility and spontaneous abortion in farm animals, raising significant concerns about human health. Dr. Don Huber, professor emeritus at Purdue University, believes the appearance and prevalence of the unnamed organism may be related to the nation’s over reliance on the weed killer known as Roundup and/or to something about the genetically engineered RoundupReady crops.

In a January 2011 letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the professor called on the federal government to immediately stop deregulation of roundup ready crops, particularly roundup ready alfalfa. You can read the letter here.

In May 2011, FARFA worked with Food Democracy Now! on an interview with Dr. Don M. Huber to understand the science behind the pathogen found in GMO crops that has been associated with widespread plant diseases and high levels of infertility and spontaneous abortions in livestock. Watch the full interview with Dr. Huber.